A red-haired boy sat over a grave. It was not marked with any name, but he knew it held his father. Cole Maelstrom had died in a fight with The Shade, but his son survived him. Alaric Maelstrom now thought only of vengance and the man who killed his father.

He now had Adastros, his father's sword in a sheath on his back. He wore all black and red. A black longcoat with red trim, black gloves and boots with red trim, a red shirt, and black pants. He set a sword to mark Cole's grave.

"Asherah... Odd last words, my father had. Seek out Asherah... I will father, but first, revenge."

The day was bright in the town they stayed in. There was music playing, people selling so many goods, and, of course, the singing of swords. Ash and Claire were training with Marcus in the yard. "I've been wandering for years," The Knight thought. "I've never found a true home. Until now, that is. I've a family now... These two now act like they're my daughters... I never knew what true joy felt like before now." He smiled, but refused to divulge why to the girls.

Chris sat down with his map. "In a few hours, the sun will set. That's when we will make our way to the Tower of Wind." He said with an enthusiasm he normally lacked.

"Hmmm..." A woman with paper-white skin stepped out of a pool of blood to look at a dark crystal. "The Crimson Demon Killer is dead... Good. And Aleah? Has not made it to the tower yet! I will have to burn some sense into her when she returns. Why am I cursed with that failure for a niece? I cannot kill her either, he who slays his kin is forever loathed by gods and men... I refuse to do that to myself when suicide missions are good enough." She said as she walked back to her tub, poured herself a glass of wine, and slipped her figure back into the liquid.

Ivan adjusted his new glasses and started trying everything to be able to at least use the least of magic....but nothing. Ivan slumped down and sighed. At least he still had a sword and that was good enough for him.

Meanwhile Ienzo hummed a tune as flipped through some books he randomly had. His blue bangs were swept to the side so Ienzo could see properly. The books contained pages of how to cut somebody's hair without 'butchering' it. A strange book to have Ienzo would assume, but Ivan had asked for his bangs to be cut. Ienzo couldn't blame him. After all, what's the point of covering your eye when you're going to need to see out both of them?

Claire ran to Ivan. "How are you doing today? I brought you a gift!" She said as she pulled an old book out from behind her back. It was the history of Dark Magic.

"I've been waiting for this for years..." Silas said as he set foot in an old temple. He had left the group to find a great treasure. He grabbed the Crystal that that sat there. They now had the Crystal of Wind, leaving only the Crystals of Dark and Aether left.

Aleah had arrived too late to the temple because she had run to Arkhanul. She found him in what she thought was a trance, and poked his arm lightly. "Excuse me... I'm technically part of The Shade, but... I hate it. Please help me. My aunt Hela has sent me to grab the Crystal of Wind. ... She hurts me, and she wants you people dead... ... ... Please protect me..." She said.

(Claire and Ivan are in love with each other right?) Ivan looked at the book. 'Magic. My forte. The book could let me be able to cast it. How kind of her.' Ivan thought. "Are you sure? It is yours after all. You sure you aren't going to need it later?" Ivan asked as he looked up. His breath seemed to to disappear as he stared at Claire. Ivan had just realized how beautiful she was. Like an angel descended from heaven. Ivan just sat there yes with his eyes locked on Claire's face.

Claire blushed. "Well... It's technically mine to give... Let me see... I asked Ash for gift ideas, she asked Chris, Chris said 'a book,' I asked where I'd get one, Ash said she'd get one from Chris, Chris said no, Ash and he made an agreement that I don't know, Ash gave me the book that I just gave to you!" She said, her deep-skinned face blushing a bright red.

Silas returned to find Aleah in their camp. He knocked her down and put an axe to her neck. Aleah just sat there, hoping someone had heard what she had said earlier, because the only sounds she made now were sobs.

The Eternal Tower, Castle of The Shade.

"Aleah has betrayed me!" Hela said as she grabbed one of her handmaidens. "I shall have to go take care of her myself... But first... I want you." She said to her handmaiden who blushed. "Not in that way, fool." She replied as she bit her, sucking blood out. The girl would have died if Arvelier had not summoned her.

Narsus, Arcadius, Hela, and Master Arvelier stood in a dark chamber. "We may not have the Crystals due to failures, my generals, but I do finally have the energy needed to unleash the dragons! Then I will finally unseal the Chaos Dragon! It will consume the world, and I will reshape humanity in my image! I will be a god" Arvelier said as the Dragon's Seal was opened.

A lone girl with dragon wings on her back flew out past them looking for one pure of heart.

Holly's eyes sharpened.She teleported over to the female in trouble, and sent a stern kick into the left side of the man holding an axe to her. She stood in front of the girl. Reading their auras, she could tell they are Shade.She binded them both in a dark chain, not allowing them to move their legs nor arms."You're both Shade." Her eyes turned black. "Start talking."

"Holly! It's me, Silas! What are you doing helping a Shade? She found her way into our camp! So why are you attacking me?! I even got The Crystal of Wind!" Silas said as he tossed the Crystal to Holly.

In the mountains of mourning.

Alaric Maelstrom walked through the pass with a sword on his back and anger in his heart. He stopped at an inn. There, he saw three Shade soldiers and promptly cut them down. He wanted revenge, but he also wanted answers, so he left one alive.

"Asherah! Where is the one called Asherah?!" He said.

"I-in the village by the lake! Windfall Village!" The Shade answered with fear in his voice.

"Then you will have your reward." Alaric said as he drove Adastros through the soldier and gave him sweet death. "Windfall, huh? Good..." He said , cleaning his sword as he left the inn.

Ivan smiled. He finally was able to speak. "Thank you." was all he said. A sudden chill went down his spine. "So much suffering. We seem to be winning, but the darkness of the shade keeps growing. A fowl corrupted darkness." A tear streak Ivan's face. "Claire, will this ever end?"

Caellach answered for Claire. "This will end, but it can only end one of two ways. Either we kill them. All of them. Or they kill us. It's simple. This isn't a war between nations, it's people standing up against a man who wants to be a god and his followers. He wants to destroy the world as we know it, and reshape it in his image. My cover was blown before he said how, though. Arvelier keeps to himself for the most part, so I doubt he trusts his generals until his plans are almost complete... I wonder who they got to replace me..." He said as he looked around.

Caellach pulled his sword out and cut Holly's chains. "You're safe here, Aleah. What have they done to you, you poor child?" He said, looking the wounded girl up and down.

She wore full sleeves and leggings to hide the marks, bruises, and scars General Hela had given her niece. "I'm fine now, Sir Caellach... Lady Hela is the one they replaced you with..." Aleah said with a sigh as she hugged Caellach.

"You see," She went on to explain. "Caellach is basically my guardian angel... But his cover got blown, so he couldn't save me from my aunt's wrath anymore... She kills her handmaidens. She seduces them, and that's not hard, she can control those who look into her eyes, and then she bites their necks and lets the blood drain out into a bath tub where she soaks in it to gain their beauty and power... I hate her..." She finished.

Arkhanul's goal for that moment had been realized. Everybody had forgotten he was even there. "Yeah, I once met someone like that," he said grimly. "If we come across her, exercise extreme caution. They'll do anything to kill you. Anything at all."

Soltur was not aware of anything that was going on. He was absorbed in his thoughts of all the death he'd seen and how he wished it'd all just end. Finally just end. 10000 years of death was all he saw. Humanity had not changed in the least.

"Well," Said Ash. "We',, let Aleah have some time to rest and relax before we go to the temple of Aether. We'll pay for a room so you can stay behind, OK, Aleah?"

"No!" Aleah replied. "Take me with you! I want to undo all the suffering I've been a part of! Please!"

"OK, Aleah. We'll leave at first light!" Ash said with a smile.

The road to Windfall Village.

An army of Shade soliers had hunted Aleah down. They were making camp for the night when Alaric Maelstrom found them.

He took the first guard by surprise and hanged him from a tree. Whe the second stopped and found the first, Alaric impaled him. He then extinguished the soldiers fire... Then their lives. He would not be denied his revenge.

"Asherah... She's there." He said, looking at the village in the distance. Still, though, he needed to sleep, and there was a perfectly good camp right there, so he spent the night by the road.

Ivan sighed and took the book from Claire. "Thank you again." Ivan tried to lighten the mood by smiling. He managed to make out a legit smile when a bit depressed for once. "I have to say...you are beautiful, more beautiful than any being I've laid eyes on." Ivan's eyes relaxed and focused more on Claire.

Ienzo came over to the two and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but I'd rather cut his hair now than later."

Claire turned a bright shade of red and grabbed Ivan while giggling. "Oh, Ienzo! Why not later? We were having a moment!" Claire said as she whispered something romantic into Ivan's ear.

"A strong force is coming this way!" Melody said as her eyes glazed over. Her beyond sight had been getting stronger as of late. "This warrior killed an entire brigade of Shade soldiers, and is just waiting by the road. We will have to face the warrior when we leave, he's coming into the village, we need to go out. There may be great bloodshed.